Supplemental bumper apparatus attachable to a water craft

ABSTRACT

A supplemental bumper apparatus for covering the bumper of a personal water craft and providing enhanced shock absorption and blemish resistance. The supplemental bumper apparatus comprises a synthetic rubber body and a fastener system. The synthetic rubber body provides a barrier which can absorb shock and block blemishes from an impact. The synthetic rubber body is attached to the bumper fastener system defined by a plurality of snap fasteners on its upper section and a hook and loop fabric fastener is on its lower section. A plurality of snap fastener base members are permanently attached to the bumper and a corresponding hook and loop fastener material is permanently attached to the bumper, each providing a corresponding engaging member to enable the snap fasteners and the hook and loop fastener surface to attach the synthetic rubber body to the surface of the bumper.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to watercraft accessories and, moreparticularly, to a supplemental for enhancing the reduction in damage toa watercraft during a collision.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The use of personal water craft devices, such as a Sea-Doo, Jet Ski, andWaveRunner for on waterways around the world is well known. Personalwater craft devices are typically designed for a standing, on-boardoperator, and potentially one to two additional passengers to betransported. In use, personal water craft are often operated by touristsand other novice/inexperienced operators, and usually in high trafficareas. As such, collisions between personal watercraft and otherobjects, including other personal watercraft, are relatively common.

While the existing bumpers on personal water craft are often suitable toreduce the chance of structural damage in the event of minor collisions,superficial and minor damage still commonly occurs in the event of suchcollisions. Thus, there remains a need for a supplemental bumperapparatus which could be attached to the existing bumper of a personalwater craft would reduce damage to the bumper of a watercraft in theevent of a collision. It would be helpful if such a supplemental bumperapparatus could be removably attached to a personal watercraft aftermarket. It would be additionally desirable for such a supplementalbumper apparatus to employ a dual fastener system to ensure it does notinadvertently fall off.

The Applicant's invention described herein provides for a supplementalbumper apparatus adapted to be attached to the bumper area of a personalwater craft and improve shock absorbing capability. The primarycomponents in Applicant's supplemental bumper apparatus are a bumperpanel having synthetic rubber body and a fastener system. When inoperation, the supplemental bumper apparatus reduces the damage to apersonal water craft in the event of a collision. As a result, many ofthe limitations imposed by prior art structures are removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A supplemental bumper apparatus for covering the bumper of a personalwater craft and providing enhanced shock absorption and blemishresistance. The supplemental bumper apparatus comprises a syntheticrubber body and a fastener system. The synthetic rubber body provides areduction in how much shock is received and thus absorbed by the bumperof the personal water craft. This reduction in shock results in lessdamage to the bumper and the personal water craft in the event of acollision. In addition, the synthetic rubber body provides a barrierwhich can receive scratches and other blemishes from an impact in lieuof the bumper.

The synthetic rubber body is attached to the bumper fastener systemdefined by a plurality of snap fasteners on its upper section and a hookand loop fabric fastener is on its lower section. A plurality of snapfastener base members are permanently attached to the bumper and acorresponding hook and loop fastener material is permanently attached tothe bumper, each providing a corresponding engaging member to enable thesnap fasteners and the hook and loop fastener surface to attach thesynthetic rubber body to the surface of the bumper.

It is an object of this invention to provide a supplemental bumperapparatus which could be attached to the existing bumper of a personalwater craft would reduce damage to the bumper of a watercraft in theevent of a collision.

It is another object of this invention to provide a supplemental bumperapparatus capable of being removably attached to a personal watercraftafter market.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a supplementalbumper apparatus which employs a dual fastener system to ensure it doesnot inadvertently fall off.

These and other objects will be apparent to one of skill in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a supplemental bumper apparatusbuilt in accordance with the present invention attached to a personalwater craft.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a supplemental bumper apparatusbuilt in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a supplemental bumper apparatusbuilt in accordance with the present invention with a snap fastener inshadow.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a supplemental bumper apparatusbuilt in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention permanently attached to a personal water craft

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, asupplemental bumper apparatus 10 is sized to be placed over the bumper11 a of a personal water craft 11. The supplemental bumper apparatus 10is defined by a synthetic rubber body 10 a and a fastener system. In thepreferred embodiment, the synthetic rubber body 10 a is constructed ofan ethylene propylene diene monomer (“EPDM rubber”) and the fastenersystem includes a plurality of snap fasteners 12 and a hook and loopfabric fastener surface 13. Due to its construction of EPDM rubber andits placement directly over the bumper 11 a, the synthetic rubber body10 a provides a reduction in how much shock is received and thusabsorbed by the bumper 11 a of the personal water craft 11. Thisreduction in shock results in less damage to the bumper 11 a and thepersonal water craft 11 in the event of a collision. In addition, thesynthetic rubber body 10 a provides a barrier which can receivescratches and other blemishes from an impact in lieu of the bumper 11 a.As such, the bumper 11 a can remain relatively blemish free. Such areduction in damage and blemishes enables the bumper 11 a to have alonger effective life while on the personal water craft 11.

The synthetic rubber body 10 a is attached to the bumper 11 a fastenersystem defined by two discrete fastener systems. A plurality of snapfasteners 12 are employed on the upper section of the synthetic rubberbody 10 a. A hook and loop fabric fastener 13 is employed on the lowersection of the synthetic rubber body 10 a. Before the synthetic rubberbody 10 a can be attached to the bumper 11 a, a plurality of snapfastener base members 12 a are permanently attached to the bumper 11 a,oriented in a corresponding manner relative to the snap fasteners 12 onthe synthetic rubber body 10 a. In addition, a corresponding hook andloop fastener material 13 a is permanently attached to the bumper 11 a,oriented below the snap fastener base members 12 a such that when thesnap fasteners 12 of the synthetic rubber body 10 a are engaged to thesnap fastener base members 12 a, the hook and loop fastener surface 13will engage the corresponding hook and loop fastener material 13 a. Bythe engaging of the snap fasteners 12 with the snap fastener basemembers 12 a and the hook and loop fastener surface 13 with the hook andloop fastener material 13 a, the synthetic rubber body 10 a is attachedto the surface of the bumper 11 a.

It is contemplated that the synthetic rubber body 10 a is sized in thepreferred embodiment to directly correspond to the size of the bumper 11a so as to enable the base body to cover the bumper without encroachingover the remainder of the personal water craft and affecting theaerodynamics of the body of the personal water craft.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in an alternate embodiment, the syntheticrubber body of a supplemental bumper apparatus 40 is permanentlyattached to the bumper 41 through a plurality of bolts 42 whichpenetrate the synthetic rubber body and the bumper 41.

In yet another embodiment, the synthetic rubber body of a supplementalbumper apparatus is permanently attached to the bumper through anadhesive.

In still another embodiment, the synthetic rubber body is sized to coveradditional surface area exposed to collisions on the personal watercraft beyond the bumper.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what isconsidered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It isrecognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within thescope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to aperson skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A supplemental bumper apparatus, comprising: abase body sized to correspond to the size of a bumper on a personalwater craft, enabling the base body to cover the bumper withoutencroaching over the remainder of the personal water craft; and afastener system, wherein said fastener system includes a first fastenerset integrated with said base body and a first fastener base integratedwith said bumper.
 2. The supplemental bumper apparatus of claim 1,wherein said base body is constructed of a synthetic rubber material. 3.The supplemental bumper apparatus of claim 2, wherein said base body isconstructed of EPDM rubber.
 4. The supplemental bumper apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said fastener system additionally includes a secondfastener set integrated with said base body and a second fastener baseintegrated with said bumper.
 5. The supplemental bumper apparatus ofclaim 4, wherein said first fastener set is defined by a plurality ofsnap fasteners and the first fastener base is defined by a plurality ofsnap fastener base members.
 6. The supplemental bumper apparatus ofclaim 4, wherein said second fastener set is defined by the hook portionof a hook and loop fastener surface and the second fastener base isdefined by the loop portion of a hook and loop fastener material.
 7. Asupplemental bumper apparatus, comprising: a base body sized to cover abumper on a personal water craft; and a fastener system, wherein saidfastener system includes a first fastener set integrated with said basebody and a first fastener base integrated with said bumper.
 8. Thesupplemental bumper apparatus of claim 7, wherein said base body isconstructed of a synthetic rubber material.
 9. The supplemental bumperapparatus of claim 8, wherein said base body is constructed of EPDMrubber.
 10. The supplemental bumper apparatus of claim 7, wherein saidfastener system additionally includes a second fastener set integratedwith said base body and a second fastener base integrated with saidbumper.
 11. The supplemental bumper apparatus of claim 10, wherein saidfirst fastener set is defined by a plurality of snap fasteners and thefirst fastener base is defined by a plurality of snap fastener basemembers.
 12. The supplemental bumper apparatus of claim 10, wherein saidsecond fastener set is defined by the hook portion of a hook and loopfastener surface and the second fastener base is defined by the loopportion of a hook and loop fastener material.